


Prompt Fics

by littlemisfit5290



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Drabble Collection, F/M, Fluff and Angst, One Shot Collection, Tumblr Ask Box Fic, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-02
Updated: 2018-01-06
Packaged: 2018-09-21 15:36:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 18,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9555284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlemisfit5290/pseuds/littlemisfit5290
Summary: Prompts - "Say your last farewell" and "Do you have any idea how embarrassing what you just did was?"





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Prompts - "Say your last farewell" and "Do you have any idea how embarrassing what you just did was?"

“Damn it, Mulder…c'mon.”

Shaking her head she shoves her hands in her coat pockets, makes her way down the steps of the Marriott to the sidewalk. The holiday party in the hotel ballroom was starting to wind down, and it couldn’t have happened soon enough, for her or for her partner.

Mulder’s already halfway down the block, moving at a brisk pace through the cold night air. With the wind chill it feels like it’s about five below.   
  
She’s shivering, and considers breaking into a jog to warm herself up, but the sidewalk is a slippery, unsalted mess. She’s not about to break her neck on black ice to catch up to Mulder in four inch heels, but knows if she doesn’t get his attention now he’s liable to reach the car, drive off and ditch her on the sidewalk. The one night she decides to not have her own car at a work event is the one night he has to pitch a fit.

   
“MULDER!” she shouts. He stops walking but doesn’t make an effort to turn around or meet her halfway.

Picking up her pace the best she can without falling she finally reaches him, sharply exhales to blow a strand of hair off her face. 

“You could’ve waited until I put my coat on before you left the building, you know.”

“I needed to get out of that room, Scully. You were right there, you heard everything they were saying!”

“All I heard was slurred words from some lousy drunks, Mulder. What they were saying about us was obnoxious but you didn’t need to take it to heart and leave. They expected that of you and you played right into their hands!”

“What was I supposed to do then? Sit there and drink shitty party punch while they mocked us? Everything we’ve worked for?”

“You’re supposed to let it roll off your back and move on,” Scully sighs. "You think I enjoy being teased and ridiculed about the work that I love? No! But making a scene by walking out only adds more fuel to their idiot fire!”

“I wasn’t about to just sit there and take it, Scully. If you want to go back and make amends on behalf of your spooky partner, try and salvage what’s left of your Bureau reputation you go right ahead. Just don’t expect me to follow you.”

He turns on his heel and starts walking again, but before Scully can shake her head or roll an eye she hears a loud  _thwack_  sound followed by Mulder swearing. 

“What the…did someone really just-“

“Proof is in the pudding, Scully. Or in this case all over my new coat,” Mulder says, angrily brushing snowball remnants from his overcoat before crouching down on the sidewalk.

“Mulder, it’s just a stupid prank from some idiot. Don’t-”

He shakes his head, molds a baseball sized clump of snow and rock salt in his palm before he pivots, stands. Bringing his arm back he pitches the ball at the shadowy figure across the street who struck first. 

“Jesus, Mulder!” Scully hisses as he scoffs, shakes his head.

“You think I’m gonna just walk away!” he shouts across the street. “I was a starting pitcher in high school!” 

When he goes to bend down, pack together another snowball Scully hauls him to his feet.

“Hey! What are you-”

“Enough, Mulder! Do you have any idea how embarrassing this is?!”

“I don’t know, Scully. Maybe you ought to go check with our colleagues back at the punch bowl. See if they can weigh in on it for you,” he snaps, breaking free of her hold on him.

He starts walking back to the car, fully content to ignore her even as she yells after him down the street. Opting to get his attention the best way she can think of, Scully bends down and packs together a snowball, then stands and hurls it at the back of his coat. 

When it makes impact Mulder stops, shakes his head in awe as he tries his best not to laugh out loud. 

"Scully? Did you really just…” 

“Yelling wasn’t getting me anywhere and I wasn’t about to chase you down the sidewalk again.” she snorts, then ducks to avoid a snowball being lobbed at her across the street.

“What the-“

“Scully, get down!” he shouts. Grabbing her by the hand he darts behind a tree, crouches down. 

“For the love of….”  
Shaking her head she groans, sees him assembling another ball of salt and slush.

“Look Mulder, I realize that we’re targets but engaging with all this, striking back is-“

“The exact way we’re gonna handle this, Scully,” Mulder snorts, peering out from behind the tree across the street. 

“What if they’re kids, Mulder? What if they live on this street and are just fooling around? Any adult that walks past and sees this display is bound to think-“

“That their kids need to think twice before chucking snowballs at federal agents.”

“You’re impossible, Mulder. I don’t…”

Trailing off, realizing he’s reaching his arm back in an effort to shield her Scully rolls her eyes, maneuvers in front of him only to frown. Recognizing their assailants in the low light of the streetlamp. 

“Oh my God…it can’t be-“

“Say your last farewell, Cybercrime assholes,” Mulder growls, but before he gets a chance to fire off his snowball Scully hurriedly packs one together, opts to fire it off herself. She strikes her target across the way between his shoulderblades, knocking him off balance. Earning a satisfied smile from her partner.

“Nice arm there, Scully.”

“I may have needed a refresher in hips over hands but my pitching arm is just fine,” Scully smirks as Mulder continues packing her snowballs, handing them to her to throw off one by one.

Her aim is accurate and she manages to scare off the coworkers who decided to target them, aside from one moron that continues to yell and taunt.

“Hey Red? You wanna come over here and say that to my face?!”

“I’d rather tear my rotator cuff throwing slush at it, you son of a bitch!”

“HEY!”  

Incensed, the man rolls up the sleeves of his coat and cuts across the street to give them a piece of his mind. When he has the stupidity to approach Scully, Mulder stands and storms over, eyes narrowed.

“What’s a matter, Mulder? Your little partner here need protecting?”

“I suggest you shut up before you embarrass yourself, Matthews.”

“The only one who’s gonna be embarrassed is you, you spooky fuck-“

Before the insult fully rolls off his tongue, Scully runs up and grabs hold of Agent Matthews arm. Flips him jujitsu style into a snowbank.

“Bitch! You could’ve broke my goddamn arm!”

“Stick around and you can watch me break a few more limbs, too!”

When Matthews gulps, scrambles to his feet and takes off down the sidewalk, Scully laughs, throws a snowball at him for good measure.

“Impressive display there, Agent Scully.”

“You really expected me to sit back and do nothing while he insulted you?”

“Well I gave you plenty of reason. I did ditch you with those assholes tonight.”    
  
“Yes, you did. But like every other time that you ditch me, I opted to release my   
anger in a productive way.”

“A productive way?”

“Yes. Instead of going for a run or using the punching bag at the gym, I made snow and slush balls and got to pelt them at morons.”

Laughing, Mulder slides an arm around the small of Scully’s back, walks her back in the direction of the car only to feel a chunk of snow reach the back of his head. 

“Is that from who I think it…”

“I’ll give you three guesses and the first two don’t count,” Scully scoffs, whirling around to see Matthews had found some friends.

“You ready for this, Scully.”

“They’re not giving us much of a choice, are they,” she sighs as he nods.

“How’s the arm?”

“Just fine.”

“Perfect. Let’s go kick some ass.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt- "Welcome to fatherhood."

She’d been moved to recovery an hour ago. The nurse had told Mulder she was lying sedated for a reason, that she needed all the rest and recuperation time she could get and probably wouldn’t even realize he was in the room. 

He countered that, pointing out if his partner was asleep and as unaware as they said, there was no reason he couldn’t stay at her side. The nurse got fed up and walked off. Luckily she hadn’t called security on him.

He knew there was a chair in the corner of her room. But it was uncomfortable and she looked cold under the thin fleece blanket. After everything they’d endured the past few days, he needed her close and didn’t doubt she felt the same way.

Curling his body around her like a shield he twines their fingers, content to just lie here and watch her dream. He’s exhausted but has no plan to take his eyes off of her. Before his grow heavy though Scully’s flutter open, focus on his.

“H…Hi..”

“Hi yourself,” he laughs, kissing her.

“How you feeling? Are you in pain?”

Scully shakes her head before frowning, looking nervously around the room.

“Scully…”

“Where is he? Mulder, where is he?!“

“He’s fine. William’s fine. He’s just over in the nursery catching some z’s.”

“You mean th…they…”

“Shh, breathe, Scully,” Mulder soothes, stroking her hair back. She nods, slowly inhales through her nose but her eyes are still too wide, too wet.

“They didn’t take him?” she chokes out.

Shifting closer Mulder slides an arm around her, touches his forehead to her’s. He feels her shaking and his heart breaks on the spot.

“No, they didn’t. Nobody tried and nobody’s going to, Scully. You kept him safe in Georgia. Now we’re keeping him safe here.”

“I want to see him. I…I have to go and see him, Mulder.”

She tries to sit up but her lower body screams in protest. Wincing, she shakes her head as he guides her back against the pillow. 

“No, I told you! I have-“

“What you have to do now is rest, Scully. Look, I’ll lie down with you.”

Leaning back into the large pillow he taps the free side of it invitingly, grins at her.

“C’mon, Laura. We’re parents now.”

“And I still go by Scully,” she scoffs. 

Rolling her eyes she curls up half on the pillow, half pillowed on Mulder’s chest but she lets out a groan, prompting him to stroke the side of her face.

“You alright?”

“Yeah. Just sore.“

“You know damn well the best thing to help that is rest.”

“Don’t forget what they say about doctors, Mulder.”

“Don’t be cute, G-Woman. Once you get the bambino home a good night’s sleep is gonna be hard to come by.“

“It’s a small price to pay though,” Scully murmurs.

Nodding, brushing his lips on the crown of her head Mulder smiles, shuts his eyes for approximately five minutes before he hears her sniffle, wakes back up.

“Scully? What’s wrong? Are you-“

“I have to go to the nursery, Mulder,” she chokes out. “I have to see him before I go to sleep.”

“Okay, okay. We can make that happen. Try and relax though, okay. You’ll see William, I promise.”  
  
Stroking her hair with one hand he feels around on the night stand with the other, finds the call button. When the nurse arrives a minute later, she barely has a foot in the room before Mulder asks her for a wheelchair.

“Dana, right now it’s crucial you get as much rest as-“

“It’s crucial right now she see her son,” he says coldly. When the nurse doesn’t respond he gets out of bed, approaches her. 

“William was whisked to the nursery to be examined right when Scully was wheeled to the E.R and then the recovery ward. She hasn’t held him since the delivery and she’s not going to sleep again until she does.”

“I understand, sir,” the nurse says. “William can room-in with you two tonight. Just give us a few minutes.”

Nodding, thanking her, Mulder turns back to Scully with a smile, but seems content to pace by her bed as opposed to rejoining her in it.

“Mulder, why are you pacing?” 

“I’m not pacing. I’m just stretching my legs.”

“By pacing.”

“What’s the big deal, Scully?”

“The big deal is you’re wearing your panic face, Mulder. What’s wrong?“

“Nothing! I’m just excited. Aside from the helicopter ride Will and I really haven’t had much guy-guy bonding time.”

“Well now’s your chance, Dad!” the nurse exclaims, wheeling William’s bassinet into the room. Placing it as close to Scully’s bed as she can.

“He woke up just a little while ago. But he’s not due for a feeding for another three hours.”

Gently lifting William the nurse goes to hand him to Mulder, gives him a smile. All the while he has a nervous one plastered on his face. 

“Mr. Mulder?”

“Yeah? What?”

“Are you ready to hold-”

“I’m ready,” Scully says, pressing the button on the side of the bed to raise it.

“Oh, okay, I just thought-“

“Let me hold my baby, please,” she says coolly, but beams as soon as William is situated in her arms. Cradling him close she brushes her lips on his tiny head.

The nurse exits and once she does, Mulder shakes his head, sinks down on the foot of the bed.

“How did you know?” he asks shyly.

“You were still wearing your panic face. Plus I could see your arms shaking from over here.”

“At least you picked up on it.”

“I’ve known you for seven years, Mulder. You’re not as much of an enigma as you wish you were,” Scully says with a smile, that fades seeing the look on his face.

“The last baby I held was Samantha after my parents brought her home. I didn’t want the EMT’s or the nurse to see how rusty I was.”

“You attended Lamaze class with me and held the doll!” 

“Yeah but that doll wasn’t a tiny breathing human with tiny fragile bones and soft spots on its skull.“

Frowning, cuddling William closer Scully kisses his head again.

“Sorry. Too clinical?”

“Yeah, even for me,” she scoffs.

“Anyway, now that we’ve established our newborn son is fragile, come here.”

“You sure? I don’t want to go crowding the two of you.“

“Mulder, come here.”

Nodding, refusing to jostle her Mulder squishes himself into the small space to the right of her. 

“Okay, now remember from class, just make sure his head is supported. You’ll be fine.”

Nervously he sits up straight in bed, locks his arms that are starting to quiver again.

“Mulder, if you’re that tense your arms will be too stiff and they’ll get sore. There’s no reason for you to be this nervous!”

“I can’t help it, Scully.“

“You know you’re his father, right?” she asks gently, earning a frown.

“What are you talking about? Of course I know, I-”

“I feel like you don’t, Mulder. More often than not you call William my son, my baby. He’s yours, too.”

“Scully, I-“

“He knows your voice. The Gunmen gave me a tape recorder of yours where you’d log your old case notes. I played it in the apartment when I was pregnant.”

“My recorded voice sounds terrible, Scully. You probably gave the kid nightmares,”

“He’d kick whenever he heard you after you came back,” Scully says, giving him a soft smile.

“And look, he’s got your chin, Mulder. His lips have your pout, too.”

“You don’t have to do this, Scully. W…William’s mine,” he stammers, lowering his eyes.

“I know I didn’t take ownership of that right when I got back but I didn’t doubt that he-“

“Then hold him for me, Mulder,” she demands but he breaks out in a sweat. Bowing his head he gets out of bed, runs his hand through his hair. 

“You told me when I woke up and wanted to see him that we were going to be able to keep him safe, Mulder. Do you believe that? Or are you keeping your distance from him now because you don’t actually know?”

“He’s safe with you, Scully!” he snaps, turning around. "The safest that boy is ever going to be is where he is right now. With you.”

“But not with you? Is that what you’re trying to tell me? Damn it, Mulder, you’re his father and-“

“And where have fathers gotten me? You know the story better than anyone, Scully. I got my genes from a black lunged son of a bitch and perpetual mind games from the man that raised me.”

“And that’s why you didn’t want to take ownership? Why you still won’t? You think you’re no better than Spender?!”

“I don’t know! But I’m scared shitless to find out!”

“Mulder…” Scully whispers, blinking back tears as he walks over to the chair in the corner, folds himself into it. He’s clearly uncomfortable, but appears content to stay there the rest of the night

Kissing William on the head, Scully sits up, winces before setting him in the bassinet. She drifts off not long after, only to wake an hour later in a cold sweat, realize her pain meds are wearing off.

She knows she’s won’t receive more from the IV drip for another half hour, and knows the best thing she can do is try and roll over and sleep some more. But hearing William whimper she jolts up, bends over to slowly lift him from the bassinet.

Shushing him, cradling him close, she frowns when he doesn’t settle, starts wailing louder.

“Shhh…shh, it’s okay, baby. It’s okay.”

“Scully…are you-“

“I’m fine, Mulder,” she snaps, though he can see as he stands up that’s clearly not the case. For her or for William.

“Is he hungry, Scully? Does he need to be-“

“I don’t know! I…I don’t know,” she chokes out, feeling even more sore now and too tired to even think. 

“Are you due for more pain meds yet?” Mulder asks, as she shakes her head.

“Not for another half hour.“

“Look, let me get the nurse, Scully. See if she can settle him-“

“No, damn it! I can’t just hand him off to someone every time he starts crying!”

“You do in order for you to get some sleep!“

When she shakes her head stubbornly, looks on the verge of sobbing along with William, Mulder perches on the edge of the bed, moves to take him from her.

“Forget it, Mulder! If you were nervous to hold him before, I-“

“Let me just get him in his bassinet, Scully.”

Her arms starting to quiver now, she nods, eases the baby into Mulder’s arms  She can see the fear in his eyes as he gently cradles him to his chest, takes painstakingly slow steps around the bed to the bassinet. But before he reaches it William’s shrieks downgrade to small whimpers, softer sounding mews.   
  
Standing in front of the bassinet now, Mulder looks down at him in amazement, can’t help but laugh.

“He stopped, Scully! He..he stopped-“

“Shhh, I know. Don’t wake him up!”

“I…I got him to stop. That..that was all me?”

Nodding, relaxing back into the pillows Scully smiles, sniffs back tears. 

“I told you. You’re his father.”

“Yeah..you hear that, bud?” Mulder grins, his arms steady as he cradles William closer still. “I…I’m your father.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt- "Things you were afraid to say..."

It’s two years to the day, you realize as you walk with a purpose through the grocery store aisle, past the greeting card section. You see the bright blue font on the bright white cardstock from beneath the brim of your Yankees cap. 

 _Happy Birthday To The Happiest Baby Boy!,_ the message reads.

You think back to her bedroom, of kissing her, of your son mewling and drooling contentedly in her arms. Then you think of where you left her today.  _That_  you left her. Alone with her thoughts and grief and guilt in that shitty motel room because you wanted to get food that wasn’t vending machine junk, you selfish fucker.

You don’t remember cashing out or driving back or even parking the car in the lot. You take time though once you’re parked there, try to prepare yourself before you exit the car and unlock the motel room door. You find the one to the bathroom locked and you hear her gasps turn to sobs before your legs give out.   
  
You sink onto the stained, mildewy carpet, press your bristly cheek into the door before knocking on the wood of it with your knuckles.

“I…I’m fine, M…Mulder,”

“Let me in with you, Scully. Please.”

She’s crying harder now and you try the knob but it doesn’t give so you lean more into the door, let out a soft sigh.

“If you won’t let me then at least take a breath. In and out, Scully,“ you coach. “In and out.”

You hear her try but you hear how ragged it sounds and you shift closer still, swallow back the lump at the back of your throat.

“Scully, I’m just gonna talk to you. That’s all I’m gonna do is talk. Just keep breathing and focus on my words, on the sound of my voice, Scully. Can you do that? Knock on the door if you can do that.”

She knocks twice and you finally breathe.

“I remember walking in your room after the Gunmen left, Scully. You were sitting on the bed, holding him. I thought you never looked more beautiful.”

She doesn’t say anything but you feel her listening, and you just keep saying the words you’ve been afraid to say, afraid to even mention until right now.

“I thought back to that night so much when I was gone. But I thought ahead, too. I thought about the kind of food our son would like, the kind of music he’d be into. If he’d grow up to be a geeky nerd like me or a brainiac nerd like you.  
It killed me being away, it hurt like hell, but thinking about William when he was older was what pushed me to keep moving. That was the one thought I let myself have when I was feeling angry, or scared, or guilty. I thought I was doing the only thing I thought I could to safeguard his future. To protect him.

I know it aches, Scully. For you I know it does a hundred times worse. But by giving him up you did the same thing that I did. You thought about his future, about safeguarding that normal life for him. You gave him a chance to figure out what kind of food and what kind of music he likes, to grow into whatever caliber nerd he’s going to be.   
You gave him life and then you gave him _a_  life, Scully. And please don’t hate me for saying this but I believe, I truly believe that someday when he’s older, he’ll…he’ll find his way back into ours.”

Your voice is raw, gravelly sounding now and you haven’t heard a peep from the other side of the door in what feels like hours. You knock again, say her name and let out breath you didn’t realize you were holding when she knocks back in response.

“But you know as well as I do, Scully, you know  _better_  than I do, the only way that future can happen is if we have each other’s backs. If we keep working to keep each other safe. I know you can take care of yourself and I love you for that, and for about five billion other reasons,”

“O…only five billion,” she chokes out and you laugh. You both manage to laugh.

“I needed that, Scully. I…I need you. Especially now, especially today.”

Your voice cracks then before you hear a click and look up, see the door is unlocked. She made the effort, now its your turn again. 

You find her seated on the tile floor with her back to the wooden vanity and in half a second you’re beside her and embracing her as she curls into your chest, cries her heart out.

“I…I miss him so much, Mulder. I love him so…”

“I know. I do, too,” you murmur, your voice muffled against her hair.

“I got another five billion reasons for him, easy.”

“T…tell me what they are.”

You reach then for the envelope in your breast pocket and she gasps, sniffles as she opens it. Reveals the white cardstock now coated in blue ink from corner to corner. 

“I wrote them down,” you explain and she curls closer to you as you read each one off. One by one.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> prompt- "things you said you loved about me"

 

He’s passed out in front of the motel room tv after driving all night, and she decides now is as good a time as ever. She drives in their inconspicuous beater of a sedan to the drug store on the corner, picks up the first box of blonde hair dye she sees. Some honey gold shade that promises streak free shine and full, flawless color. It’s all she purchases. **  
**

She lets herself back in the room and sees he’s still asleep, this time in front of a station showing old sitcoms. She’d prefer to curl up beside him, doze and be treated to his lips waking her up, but if she doesn’t answer to the cardboard box in the plastic bag she’s holding now, she’s not going to.   
  
She changes into one of his old shirts before going into the bathroom. Shutting the door before starting to apply the bleach. It stings a little, then stings a lot. By the time she’s through her scalp feels like it’s on fire but she presses on. She’s come this far, she may as well add in the honey-gold tones the woman on the box is proudly flaunting.

An hour later she’s done the best that she can do. The sink is a mess and the process exhausted her more than she expected, but it’s done. She’s made a point of not looking extensively in the mirror, keeping her eyes lowered. Not to give herself a big reveal when all is said and done, just to keep herself from breaking down halfway through. 

When she finally looks up at her reflection she doesn’t hate it. She really doesn’t. But her chest aches and her eyes well up regardless. She’s staring at a gaunt, childless, bottle-blonde fugitive. A new reality that’s decided to kick in and strike her full force right now. She feels nauseous but leaves the bathroom in spite of it, moves to perch on the foot of the bed. At least out here she can’t see herself.

Mulder hears a small creak, feels the bed give slightly and stirs. Sitting up he rubs his eyes, that flit first to the Dick Van Dyke Show rerun on the TV, then the figure huddled in a ball by the footboard.

“Scully?”

“Is it that bad?” she asks, her voice sounding small.   
  
She’s wearing one of his old t-shirts with a towel wrapped around her shaking shoulders. Her legs are folded under her and her hands are quivering in her lap. Her head is bowed, and her eyes averted. Content to avoid his.

“No,” he answers. Moving to sit next to her on the bed he pats the back of her neck dry with the towel. “It’s just hair, Scully. You could get a reverse mohawk and I’d still think you were a knockout.”

“It looks like straw,” Scully sniffles, taking the towel from him and chucking it across the room. “I feel like I should be singing if I only had a brain.”

“Last I checked you had a pretty amazing one sloshing around up there.”

“Sloshing around?” she repeats.

“What? That’s not the MD approved term?” 

Easing an arm around her, Mulder guides her back with him against the bed pillows. The TV is still on and Rob is deep in conversation with Laura on the phone in the writers room.

“This episode seems pretty fitting, Scully.”

“Which one is this again?” she asks, wiping her eyes.

“You don’t remember? It’s a classic. Laura dyes her hair blonde and then worries that Rob prefers her as a brunette,” Mulder informs her, right as Rob breaks into song about loving Laura with her dark brown hair.

“If you start singing about loving my dark red hair I’ll shoot you, Mulder.“

“Can I sing about other things that I love about you?” he asks, rolling onto his side to nip at her right ear. “Hmm?”

“Maybe if you could sing,” Scully snorts.

In retaliation Mulder moves to tickle her ribs, getting her giggling uncontrollably and curling on her side, breathless.

“Okay, okay! I’m sorry. I…I’m sorry! Stop…stop tickling…"

“What would you rather I do instead?” Propping his chin up on his hands he looks down at her, gives her a suggestive smirk.

Reaching up Scully smiles softly at him, cups his face in her palm. Tears swim in her eyes at the love she’s seeing in his. Even when she feels like she’s never looked worse in her life, he can still look at her like that. 

“Can you tell me those things, that you…”

“What about a little show and tell, Scully?“ he suggests. Nodding, she kisses him before he pulls back, moves to kiss her forehead.  
  
“That’s to show I love your brilliant and beautiful mind.”  
  
“You mean the one sloshing around up there?”

“That’s the one, Scully.”

Grinning he pushes a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

“I like the blonde just fine. But I love that it’s out of a box.”

“What?”

“We’re living in a box of a motel room, we’re living out of boxes and suitcases. But it’s temporary. Same as this.”

Twining a loose, gold tendril around his finger he smiles. “Just temporary, Scully.”

She nods again, kisses him again before he breaks free of her lips, again.

“Okay, if you kiss me after each declaration we’re never getting out of this bed.”

“Since when is that a problem?” she asks. Rolling his eyes he reaches to hold her face. Traces his thumb across her right eyebrow.

“You didn’t dye these.”

“You’re not supposed to, Mulder. The bleach can irritate-”

“That’s a good thing, ‘cause if you lightened them I’d be lost.”

“What do you mean?” Scully frowns, her brow furrowing under his touch.

“This eyebrow is my best indicator I’m doing something batshit crazy, Scully.”

“What about when I tell you you’re being batshit crazy?” 

“Hush, woman. I haven’t gotten to your mouth yet,” Mulder scolds, his thumb traveling to her eyelid. 

“I love your eyes. They’re big and they’re blue and they’re the best anchor out there.”

“Mulder…”

“I know they make those colored contacts, and that you can spend all day with them turned green or brown or some kind of Elizabeth Taylor violet hue if you feel like you have to. Just promise me that whatever happens, they’ll go back to blue at night.”

“They will. Those contacts hurt like hell.” 

Smiling Scully reaches her hand up, pushes some hair away from his eyes.

“You have to promise your eyes keep those gold flecks though, okay?”

“C’mon now, Scully,” Mulder pouts. “This is my thing. You can do me later.”

“Promise?” she teases as he rolls his eyes, kisses her again.

“I love your lips,” Mulder murmurs against them, tugging her lower one gently between his teeth.

“I love the pout, that they’re plump, the way they feel pressed to mine.”

Whimpering against his lips, reveling in the feel of his tongue against her’s, Scully reciprocates. Only pulls back when oxygen becomes a necessity. 

Still breathless, Mulder rolls onto his side. Tugs the collar of his t-shirt she’s wearing down to expose her right shoulder blade.

“I love your shoulders,” he murmurs, dotting her skin with his lips.

“Even with worlds of shit weighing on them they’re still strong, still hold my sorry ass up-”

“Mulder,” Scully sighs, stroking his hair as he nips at her collarbone, her jaw, before pressing delicate kisses down her throat.

“I love the sound of your voice, Scully. You can bring me to my damn knees with your voice.”

“What else can my voice do, Mulder?” she asks. Softly moans when his hands slide beneath her shirt, skirt up her ribs to cup her breasts. 

Leaning close he nips at her ear again, smiles.

“It can tell me what you want.”

His voice comes out in that whispery growl that he knows makes her toes curl. To retaliate she wraps her legs around him, moves her hips in a slow grind against his jeans. She’s wearing nothing but his shirt and realizing that, Mulder nips down hard on her neck, scores the delicate skin there.

“What do you want, Scully?” he asks. She arches a brow and rolls above him, situates herself before peeling off her shirt. Leaning in close she smirks, whispers in his ear.

“Let me show you.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt- "If you die, I'm going to kill you."

It’s nights like this you wish you still smoked. Nights like this when it’s actually morning but you haven’t slept or looked at your watch in hours and you’ve lost track of everything and everyone that isn’t him. 

It was a stupid freak accident. A tractor trailer sliding on the ice and jackknifing and pinning him and the SUV he was driving to the guard rail.   
  
He was late for dinner, even though he knew you had the night off at the hospital and knew that you were making lasagna. So you called and when he didn’t pick up you started to drive until you saw the flashing lights. Forced your fear and nerves down as you asked the EMT’s questions, asked to get closer.   
  
It wasn’t until after you crossed the police tape you wished you hadn’t.

He’s bleeding and broken on the stretcher and in this moment you’re not a doctor, you’re not detached and you know if you open your mouth you’re going to start screaming so you stay quiet. You climb back in your car and numbly drive behind the ambulance, shaking like you’re cold. 

When you arrive they keep you from him, direct you to the waiting room. You know it’s to keep you from breathing down the attending physician’s damn neck and that you’re too tired and terrified to fight it. So you don’t. You wait. 

You’ve got at least two hours before you’ll get another update, you’ve asked, and damn, you really could go for that cigarette.

Instead you push two chairs together in the waiting room, curl up on your makeshift bench before draping your coat over you like a blanket, letting your eyes droop shut. You wake feeling groggier than when you laid down but at least you took the edge off. Enough for you to function and speak coherently with the desk nurse who tells you he stabilized during the night, is being prepped for surgery now. 

You play the partner and POA card and earn yourself five minutes. She tells you his floor and door and you’re there in less than one.

He’s unconscious and bandaged and intubated and still, and it doesn’t matter that you’ve seen him like this at least eight times since being partnered with him. The better part of you is broken and bruised and knocked out right alongside him. 

You know he’s in good health and that he’s strong and that if you were the one performing the procedure on him you’d be confident, you’d be calm. But right now you’re not calm, you’re crying again against his still warm chest, breathing in time with his still beating heart.   
  
If he dies you’re going to kill him, you promise before squeezing his hand. 

He squeezes yours back and you know it’s an involuntary muscle response, nothing but reflex. You know it’s not a sign. But you smile regardless and you sit up. Stand when you hear the nurse.

“It’s time, Ms. Scully,”

You nod and step back as the nurse and orderly gather around, wheel Mulder to the elevator. Four hours later he’s in recovery and you’re curled up in the chair by his bed when you hear him stir. Feel his eyes on you before yours fully open.

“Hi,” he chokes out as you smile, scoot your chair closer before wiping a tear from your cheek, then another.

“Are…are those ‘cause you didn’t get your chance, Scully?” he asks as you laugh. 

“Y…you heard that? You heard me?”

"All this time, you’ve just wanted me dead by your hand.”

“It’s about time you called me on it.”

“So, do no harm officially doesn’t apply to me?”

“Nope. And one day I’ll get my wish,” you smirk before you settle in the small spot between his right side and the edge of his bed.

“Not today though, okay?”

“Of course not. Y…you gotta make it the perfect crime,” he quips as you snuggle into him, press a kiss to his chest. He squeezes your hand again and you smile. Finally let yourself sleep.

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt- "I can't believe you don't like Disney movies."

“I can’t believe you don’t like this movie, Scully.”

She rolls her eyes, fights the urge to lob a piece of popcorn at his head.

“It’s a classic. It’s Disney. Who the hell doesn’t like Disney?”

“I didn’t say I disliked all Disney movies, Mulder. I’m just not overly fond of this one,“ Scully shrugs. Slumping back into the couch cushions she reaches for her book on the coffee table, flips it open to the page she bookmarked.

“So you’re reading during our movie night.”

“Mulder, if you like the movie then keep it on. It’s fine.”

“You’re using movie night to reread  _Breakfast At Tiffany’s_ , Scully. I’ll put on something else. I just didn’t know you were morally opposed to-“

“I’m not morally opposed!” she snaps, taking him aback. Tossing the book down she lets out a huffy sigh, folds her arms.

“Well, if you’re not you’re doing a pretty convincing job of-“

“I don’t hate the movie. It’s sweet, it’s a nice story.”

“But…?” Mulder asks, pausing the movie before turning towards her.

“But the first time I saw it I had an… extreme reaction to it.”

“Extreme? Scully, it’s a kids movie. What the-“

“I was at a house party with Melissa. We had both been drinking, a lot, and someone had the great idea to rent this movie and play it in the basement.”

“ _The Fox And The Hound?_ ” Mulder scoffs. “What, were all the good make out movies taken?”

Arching a brow, Scully continues after a beat.

“Anyway, Missy and I went downstairs to watch and we kept drinking. Every time Tod or Cooper did something “aw” worthy we’d do a shot. It was fun, until the part of the movie when…”

“Oh, Scully.”

“When the old woman left Tod behind. I got hysterical. Missy took me home because everyone was staring at the crazy girl on the floor crying her eyes out.“

“Well, it is an emotional scene-“

“I was full on weeping, Mulder. Everyone probably thought I had a chemical imbalance.”

“Scully, people cry at movies. Hell, if I’m drinking during  _Die Hard_ -”

“Cut it out, Mulder.”

“Aw, Scully.”

Moving closer he slides an arm around her. She doesn’t budge until he starts lightly tickling her ribs, her weak spot. 

“Oh, just stop…damn it, MULDER!” she squeaks between giggles. She finally squirms away and glares as he shrugs, gives her a bashful smile.

“I just wanted you to be smiling. Your favorite part is coming up and-“

“Mulder, shut up.” 

Swatting a pillow at him she stands up, goes to the kitchen to make more popcorn. Shaking his head he lightly laughs, stands and walks over to see her angrily punching in the buttons on the microwave.

“So, you want me to hit the liquor store then go and rent  _Die Hard_?”

“Mulder…”

“Maybe I can find a copy of  _Old Yeller_  or  _Field Of Dreams_. Really turn the night into a tear fest.”

“You already picked out the movie for tonight.”

“Yeah but if I’d known a fox got you that worked up I’d just let you call me by my first name all night.“

“You would not.”

“For you, Scully…I’d do just about anything.”

Turning to face him she gives him a soft smile.

“Can we fast forward the part where she leaves Tod?”

“I was just thinking we get some shot glasses, a fifth of vodka. We can start the movie over, play that ‘aw game. I don’t know about you but I’ll be obliterated by the time that part rolls around.”

“Mulder…”

“C’mon, Scully. We can weep and look imbalanced together. It’ll be fun, what do you say?”

After a beat she shakes her head, smiles up at him.

“I’ll find the glasses. Go pick up the vodka.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt- What is that thing?

“What in the hell is that thing?”

“Mulder, don’t talk about him like that. You’ll hurt his feelings,” Scully says defensively as he shakes his head, sinks onto the porch swing looking dumbfounded.

“You brought home a black bear, Scully.”

“He’s not a bear!” she snaps, crouching down on the porch to cradle the Newfoundland puppy. A puppy that’s taller than her when she sits. 

“Where the hell did you even find…”

“He was in a cardboard box on the side of the road, Mulder. Someone clearly abandoned him there. Someone with no concern for his safety or well being.”

“Now c’mon, why’d you have to go and tell me that?” Mulder sighs, making the mistake of looking from the big black dog’s wet brown eyes to his partner’s pleading blue ones.

“I thought you should have all the facts. He doesn’t have tags or a collar, he’s not microchipped. I want to give him a home, Mulder.”

“We already gave a dog a home, Scully. Remember Daggoo? Our finally housebroken friend upstairs? ” Mulder asks.

“I thought he and Samson could keep each other company when we’re working.”

 “Samson? You named him already?”

“He likes it, Mulder! I tested it. He came running out of the car as soon as I called him.”  
  
“It’s a good thing he didn’t knock you down,” Mulder snorts, earning a glare before Scully offers to demonstrate. Taking a seat on the swing beside Mulder she taps her right thigh, calls Samson over.   
  
Immediately the dog jumps up, romps over to her before sitting obediently at her feet. Earning an ear rub and a treat from a container on the porch. 

“You know your beloved Daggoo will get one look at that hulking beast and run for the hills.”

“Samson’s not a beast. He’s a good boy. And feel how soft his coat is, Mulder.”

Reluctantly Mulder leans over, rubs the dogs velvety ear, fluffy coat.

“I got him groomed after we left the vet. He was so well behaved.”

“Of course he was. That place is like a high end doggie day spa.”

“I thought later on we could go into town to the pet store. We can get Samson a collar and some supplies, buy Daggoo a new chew toy.”

“You’ve got it all planned out, don’t you?” he asks as Scully blushes, gives him a shy smile. Meanwhile Samson scoots forward, rests his wet snout on the edge of the bench.

“You know William will be thrilled when he sees him, right? In his last email he said he can’t wait to come back here and walk Daggoo.”

“Yeah but he takes this one out and Samson will be walking  _him_ ,” Mulder scoffs right as Samson’s ears perk up and he ambles over to sit in front of him.

“See, he responds so nicely when you don’t call him a thing or a hulking beast,” Scully says as Mulder rolls his eyes, but starts rubbing Samson behind the ears again regardless.

“You really think that Will’s…”

Nodding, Scully shifts closer, curls up on Mulder’s shoulder while her hand reaches to rub Samson’s other ear.

 “If we have two dogs he’ll have to visit us twice as much.”

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts-
> 
> “I thought you were dead.” “So did I”
> 
> “And BOOM! There they were."
> 
> "My hero."

She’s been in the hospital for two days, healing remarkably well despite having sustained a gunshot wound to the gut. The doctor is in awe of the progress she’s making and Mulder is grateful for several reasons.  Camping at his partner’s bedside is a hell of a lot easier when she’s in a recovery room as opposed to the ICU. He’s also allowed to bring her more gifts.

Walking in holding a gigantic plush replica of Big Blue, he misjudges the length of the creature’s tail, nearly knocks over two vases of flowers and the alien action figures he’d placed on a shelf yesterday. Tossing Blue aside Mulder dives onto the ground and rolls, manages to catch both the figures before they hit the floor.

“And scene…” he mutters.

It hurts like a bitch for Scully to laugh but she can’t help herself.

“Any casualties?” she asks as Mulder shakes his head and gets to his feet. Hands her the tiny aliens with a flourish. 

“My hero,” she grins.

Mulder situates Blue in the corner of the room while Scully makes the little green men pounce onto and fight each other on her chest. Laughing, he moves to sit beside her in bed. Careful so as not to jostle her.

“Where did you even get these anyway?” 

“Some woman was selling them on the sidewalk. I was walking all over looking for something to get you, turned a corner and boom, there they were.”

“I’m surprised you sprung for them, Mulder. They don’t have key rings and they’re not gray,” Scully remarks, making the one figure walk down Mulder’s bicep.

“But they do glow in the dark,” Mulder says. Reaching to switch off the lamp he takes the alien off his arm. Sets it on his chest.

“See. They’re like little night lights.”

“I haven’t slept with a night light since I was nine, Mulder,” Scully says. Moving to set the aliens next to her on the nightstand she winces, bites her lip.

“Scully?”

“I’m fine. Just moved too fast.”

She settles back down against the pillows as he stands up, presses in the button on the remote by her bed to administer her some more painkillers.

“Mulder…”

“You’ve had the green light to have another dose for five minutes now. I’ve kept track.”

“Of course you’d be keeping track of that,” Scully scoffs as her eyes droop slightly and she slumps more into the pillows.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“Just what it sounds like, Mulder. Admit it. You like seeing me doped up.”

“I do  _not_ ,” Mulder protests as she arches a brow.

“Admit it. You like when I’m dopey.“

“That would imply I like when you’re laid up in a hospital bed fending off severe pain, Scully.” Mulder sighs, perching at the foot of her bed. 

“I don’t like this. I don’t like seeing you bandaged and bruised in this bed, I don’t like the bullet they had to extract from you, the fucker that put it in you. I…I don’t like any of this, Scully,” he says softly.

The room is dark aside from the glowing aliens but Scully can see his face is creased with guilt, worry. Even when she’s on the road to recovery, he’s still wearing that look.   
  
She could blame the drugs dripping into her for the tears prickling in her eyes and at the back of her throat. She could sniffle them back and wipe them away but she doesn’t. Instead she motions for him to move closer.

Mulder curls up in his earlier spot. Presses his nose to her cheek as she takes hold of his right hand with both of her’s. Kisses his knuckles in silent apology.

“I got that call. I thought you were dead,” he murmurs in her ear as she nods in understanding.  
  
When she shuts her eyes she still sees the light as the curtain is drawn back, feels her back scraping down the wall, the white hot pain blossoming in her belly, Fellig’s dry, papery hand covering her own. She can still hear his instructions to her when her vision tunneled and the apartment faded into grayscale.

“So did I,” she breathes as Mulder sits up slightly, frowns at her.   
  
“It all happened so fast, Mulder. Fellig, the camera. Before I could stop try and stop it everything just went dar-”

“Dark,” he finishes as she nods. “It did for me, too.”

“What do you mean?”

“For a few moments after I got the call, it felt like everything dimmed. Like someone had just flipped a fucking switch.”

Another tear slides down her face and she doesn’t stop it. Instead reaches with her hand not twined in his to grabs the aliens off her nightstand. Still glowing green in the dark. 

Handing them to Mulder, when he gives her a puzzled look she nods for him to set them at the foot of the bed.

“Here?” he asks.

“Yeah,” she says. He does as asked, positions them next to each other in front of the footboard before lying back down beside her.

“They can be our night lights.” she explains before they both drift off to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt- "Lists", "Things You Didn't Say At All"

He finds her sitting on the couch bundled up in the comforter from their bed. Instead of asking why she didn’t just stay upstairs in bed, words are a dangerous thing around a sick Scully, Mulder asks if he can join her.

She takes out her white board and black dry erase marker, writes out  _“At your own risk”_  in all caps.

“Scully, you don’t have the bubonic plague. It’s just a cold.“

Shaking her head she erases the board with the sleeve of her flannel PJ’s, starts scribbling again. This time when she shows the board it’s a list of bullet points.

“Really? You made a list?” Mulder asks as she glares, shoves the board at him to read.

“Laryngitis, congestion, low grade fever, chills, hacking cough, muscle aches, fatigue. Geez, Scully. Should we get you quarantined?”

“Mulder!” she rasps.

“Maybe invest in a plastic bubble?” Mulder quips. Glaring at him Scully takes the board back to erase and write on again.

“NOT FUNNY,” he reads as she scowls. “You’re right. I’m sorry, that was insensitive.”

He lifts the corner of the comforter, goes to crawl underneath it to be closer to her but she squirms away.

“Enough, Mulder. Y…you’ll get sick!” she coughs but he persists, moves closer.

“You think I care about that? You’re freezing,” he says, rubbing his hands up and down her shoulders.

Rolling her eyes Scully grabs the white board back, writes in exasperation before waving it in his face. 

“ _CHILLS IS ON THE LIST,_ ” Mulder reads. “Yes, Scully I’m aware of that. I read the list. Can I write one now?”

Arching a brow she erases the white board with her sleeve again, relinquishes it to him along with the pen.

Gnawing on the pen cap in thought, Mulder grins, starts scribbling.

“I don’t know why you need to,” Scully says, her voice a low, pathetic sounding rasp. “You don’t have laryngitis.”

“No, just a stubborn partner who can’t accept a little consoling even if it bit her in the-“

“Mulder!” she cries. The hurt on her face makes him regret his words instantaneously and he writes out his first message, turns the board towards her. 

She’s staring straight ahead, her arms folded and her jaw clenched and he reaches over, gently pokes the board into her right shoulder.

“Read what I wrote, Scully. Please?”

She sniffs, turns and sees “ _The world’s biggest asshole says he’s sorry”_  written out in his messy scrawl. 

Smiling slightly she tucks the blanket around her more as Mulder grins, erases the board to write another message.

_“The world’s biggest asshole wants to make out his own list now instead of continuing to act like an asshole.”_

“Fine. Go ahead,” Scully croaks out, angling her body towards his. “I’ll read it.”

Eagerly Mulder clears the board once more, writes out a line, then erases it and starts again. He repeats this process a few more times and Scully glances at the clock on the wall, kicks him under the blanket when he starts gnawing the pen cap again.

“Sometime today, Mulder.”

“Shhh. You should be resting your voice.”

“You have my erase board!” she squeaks before coughing some more. He shoots her a look, adds one more line to his list before handing her the board.

“Here. Don’t read it out loud.”

“Don’t tell me what to do. World’s biggest asshole,” she snorts, grabbing her readers off the coffee table, but does read his list quietly to herself. Giggling at some bullet points, sniffing back tears at others. When she’s done she looks up, gives him a rare full fledged smile.

“M…Mulder-“

“Shh,” he says, scooching closer and pressing his finger over her lips.

“Mlddrr! Grmmms!” she whines through closed lips as he shakes his head. 

“Don’t say anything. You know I’ve got a thing for your voice but not when it sounds like it does now.“

She pokes out her lower lip at that and he fights the urge to tug it. 

“When I was half dead on that bridge, saw you in the beam from that ship, this is a list of everything I wanted to say to you that night, Scully. It’s everything I should’ve said to you every day we were in this house together.”

Nodding, a lump forming in the back of her aching throat, Scully reaches for the white board. Writes in the available space at the bottom beneath his list before showing it to him.

“ _I didn’t need you to say it. I knew,_ ” Mulder reads off, smiling. 

“Well, I knew you  _knew_ , I just wanted an excuse to write on the white board. I really like this thing.”

She hits him on the shoulder with it then, twice, before he lifts up the corner of the duvet. Hides underneath it for his own safety.

“Mulder…”

“Consider me quarantined!” he says, his voice muffled under the blanket.

“You’ll catch my cold!” she rasps.

“Good thing I read your list of symptoms. I’ll know what’s coming.“ 

Rolling her eyes, tossing the white board down on the table Scully burrows underneath the blanket, quarantines herself in turn. She figures she’ll close her eyes, curl up on his shoulder for a nap but snuggled up to his warmth, under the warm blanket she wishes she could to do more than just rest. Knowing she can’t, but knowing she can still tease him a little she shifts closer to him. 

“Mulder?” 

“Yes, Scully?”

“I want to make another list.”

“You really think your list is going to top my list?”

“I think it might.”

The husky tone in her voice that has nothing to do with her sore throat is enough incentive for Mulder to climb out from under the blanket, grab the pen and white board for her.

“What kind of list were you thinking?”

She writes out the title and he reads it and nods, feels his mouth go dry.

“T…that’s a good title.”

Scully smirks and keeps writing, glancing up at his reaction once in awhile to the bullet points she’s making out.

“How long until that earlier list you made becomes a non issue, Scully?” he asks gruffly.

“Symptoms of rhinovirus can last anywhere from three to seven days. Adults can be contagious though for four, possibly five days, after being exposed.”

“Well if anyone’s gonna expose me to anything…” Mulder says suggestively, a little too suggestively for her to resist. Sticking her head out from under the blanket she catches her breath as Mulder reluctantly does the same, pouts.

“C’mon, Scully. Sleeping bag logic applies to duvets too. I’ll help you get warm.”

“Three to seven days, Mulder,” she says firmly as she stands up. Wrapping the duvet cover around her she hands him the white board.

“I’ll leave you my list though,” Scully smiles before heading upstairs, comforter around her shoulders.

Mulder reviews the bullet points she wrote out in reverent awe, but hearing that hacking cough symptom her entire walk up the steps he shakes his head. Sets the white board down on the table. 

“I’ll get you well yet, G-Woman.“

He stands up then and and cuts over to the kitchen. Starts making her some chicken soup.

 

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts- "Go then, leave! See if I care!"
> 
> Dialogue Only challenge for xfficchallenges

“Go then, leave! See if I care!”  
  
“No.”  
  
“But you just said…”  
  
“I said I disagreed with you, Mulder. Not that I was going to leave the office because of it.”  
  
“But-”  
  
“If this outburst though was your way of telling me to leave  _because_  I disagreed with you-”  
  
“It wasn’t.”  
  
“Good. Because if it was I’d kick your ass.”

  
“I just don’t think you’re giving this case a chance, Scully.”  
  
“You don’t?”  
  
“No. I think you’re being a little short sighted.”  
  
“You do?”  
  
“I think what happened in Vermont warrants a full investigation.”  
  
“What happened in Vermont, Mulder, was two college students got stoned at Homecoming and started seeing the school mascot in a completely different light.”  
  
“Completely different? It’s a pretty big leap to go from seeing a man dressed as a big horned sheep to seeing a Yeti.”  
  
“Even when you’re baked?”  
  
“In my experience, yes.”  
  
“Not in mine.”  
  
“What was that?”  
  
“The supposed sighting took place in a clearing. Not far from where the university’s annual bonfire is held. The mascot showed at the bonfire, the stoners saw it, got paranoid and went to the campus cops who dismissed the sighting for what it was and sent them home.”  
  
“The campus cops couldn’t handle what they were being told.”  
  
“Would you be able to if you’d heard the equivalent from every frat house that throws a party? Mulder, this case wasn’t turned over to the F.B.I by anyone. I know your Internet search turned up the campus newsletter.”  
  
“The newsletter documents the sighting, Scully. It’s evidence of what happened.”  
  
“Your only evidence comes from three college freshman with access to a Xerox machine.”  
  
“They’re English majors. They could be brushing up on their investigative reporting.”  
  
“By sitting down with tape recorders to interview stoners?”  
  
“Hey, they need to start somewhere.”  
  
“Mulder, why are you so insistent on pursuing this? A temporary lull in assignments doesn’t mean that-“  
  
“They’re looking for any excuse to shut us down, Scully. Insufficient workload is just enough of one for them to shutter us. For good this time.”  
  
“And fabricating a workload based off bogus sightings isn’t? We’d come back from Vermont with a photo of us with Steve the Big Horn Sheep and if we were lucky, a dime bag each.”  
  
“I wouldn’t be opposed to that.”  
  
“Mulder…”  
  
“What? I’ve heard Montpelier’s lovely this time of year.”  
  
“You know what else would be lovely?”  
  
“An all expense paid trip to Graceland?”  
  
“You and I cutting out early today, renting  _The Exorcist_ , ordering pizza, and not obsessing about our temporarily light caseload.”  
  
“It might not be temporary, Scully.”  
  
“We’ve had lulls before.”  
  
“Not like this.”  
  
“But fixating on it’s not going to make a case magically appear on our desk.”  
  
“So what, I should just watch a movie and have a beer? Make believe that everything’s fine?”  
  
“You don’t have to make believe with me, Mulder. Things aren’t fine, but if you expect me to spend a beautiful Friday night dwelling on that fact-“  
  
“I don’t expect you to, Scully.”  
  
“Good. Because if you did-“  
  
“Let me guess, you’d kick my ass.”  
  
“And I wouldn’t tell you about my experience involving that dime bag.”  
  
“It really wasn’t a big leap from seeing a man in a mascot outfit to seeing a…?”  
  
“Buy the pizza for us and I’ll tell you for sure.”

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt- "First Cuddle"

Three days after Mulder regains consciousness in a quarantine, Scully wakes up.

He’d had a rough three days without her. He had nobody to talk to aside from bored doctors behind sterile masks. Nothing to do but wander aimlessly around the unit with only a portable oxygen tank for company.

He was able to catch up on his reading, and when his voice was up to it and Scully was up for longer visits, he began reading books to his sleeping partner. 

He’d originally stuck to nonfiction, rattled off excerpts from autobiographies, scientific and medical journals. But the last morning before she woke up, he was reading selections to her from a trashy romance novel. 

He joked with her when her eyes opened that Reginald’s quivering member had stirred her from her slumber. She’d slowly blinked up at him before arching an eyebrow, and for the first time in three days, Mulder smiled.

It fades though when he realizes for all the physical progress she’s made that she’s still too quiet, too on edge. 

They’d been moved from the infirmary in the unit to a dorm like suite with a bedroom and a common area. It was as if he was a college freshman and she was his roommate, petrified at being away from home for the first time.   
She was keeping to herself, not speaking unless he spoke first, and dismissing him with an “I’m fine”, each time he asked how she was. It was clear she wasn’t fine.

Their second day in the suite it comes to a head after they remove Scully’s bandages. The sterile, scratchy sheets on her bed irritated her still sensitive skin and as a result she’d tossed and turned and whimpered, been unable to nap all afternoon. Ordinarily this wouldn’t be a problem, but at night the lights were shut off to conserve energy in the unit. Scully hadn’t slept at night since she regained consciousness, and Mulder unfortunately knew the reason why.

He looks over at 2:30 AM to see her curled in the fetal position. Her back is to him and she’s lying on top of the covers. She’s no longer tossing and turning–they’d switched her sheets and scrubs out for softer flannel and applied balm to the raw patches on her skin–but from what Mulder can hear of her breathing he knows she’s not asleep.

Slowly he climbs out of bed, pads over in bare feet to her side of the room.

“Scully? You awake?”

Not getting an answer he perches on the foot of her bed. 

“I thought we could sneak down to the cafeteria for a midnight snack. I found out where they keep the banana pudding stashed.“

Not getting so much as a snort in reply, Mulder sighs. Goes to stand up before-

“How do you sleep, Mulder?”

He angles his body towards her as she sits up, winces at the effort.

“The common room TV not getting the Playboy channel has a lot to do with it.”

That earns him a snort and he smiles, shifts closer. His smile fades though when he sees her shivering, covered in a light sheen of cold sweat.

“Scully, you alright? You want me to call-“

“I’m fine.”

“Your teeth are chattering. Here.”

He gets up and grabs the blanket off his bed, walks back and goes to drape it around her shoulders. Scully shies away though, shakes her head. 

“Mulder, that’s your’s…I’m-“

“It’s alright, Scully. Between the two of us you need it more.”

She nods, bites her lip before thanking him. He tries to cover her again but she grabs hold of the blanket before he has a chance, starts wringing and bunching it in her hands.

“Anytime. I still think though a doctor should come and-“

“I’m fine. I just had a bad dream.”

“I didn’t even hear you fall asleep.“

“You didn’t hear me?” she asks with a frown. “I don’t snore, Mulder.”

“You do actually, a little,” he says with a smile.

“But I can tell by your breathing when you’re asleep. There’s not a hell of a lot else to pay attention to in close and boring quarters like this.”

“So you pay attention to how I breathe?”

“Well, it’s an essential function. Lets me know you haven’t checked out on me yet.”

“Mulder, you’re crazy.”

“This is the closest I’ve come to a padded cell though, interestingly enough,” he quips as she shakes her head, lies back down. 

“Scully, are you-“

“I’m alright. Just tired.”

“Here, let me cover you-“

“No!” she shouts, flinching away when he tries. 

“Scully, you woke up in a cold sweat from a nightmare when it’s cold in this room to begin with. You’re lying here shivering like-“

“I told you already that I’m fine!” she snaps. She is chilly though. Feeling her teeth on the verge of chattering again she curls up in a smaller ball. He sits down, strokes her hair back and she looks up at him, her jaw set stubbornly as tears start to prickle in her eyes. 

She sniffs them back, swallows the lump in her throat but he’s still looking down at her and she promptly looks away.

“Mulder. Just go back to your bed, please.”

“Not until I see you go back to sleep.”

“I’m not going to be able to sleep, Mulder. You know when it’s dark that I haven’t been…” she trails off before her eyes squeeze shut against tears. She’s not going to cry in front of him. She’s not going to cry in front of him.

“Yeah, I do. If I wasn’t dead tired our first night in this place I wouldn’t have slept either.”

“You slept?“

“Somehow I kept my eyes shut and when I opened them again I was fine. No cocoons or oxidizing enzymes in sight.”

“I keep seeing them in the corners, Mulder. I can’t get the image out of my head, That night in the cabin when I saw them, I-”

“I know you were scared. But we stayed up and you analyzed them, Scully. You rattled off their scientific properties and identified what they were. You calmed yourself down.“

“I don’t really think there’s much to analyze or apply scientific properties to in here, Mulder. We’re locked down in a quarantine unit.”

“But we’re safe. We’re not in the woods. We’re sealed away wherever the hell this bunker is. We don’t have to rely on a generator or perfect strangers for protection. Those are the facts in front of you, Scully.“

“Then why am I still afraid?” she asks as he lets out a sigh.

“You want me to stay here with you?”

“Where else are you going to go in a locked down ward? Aside from the cafeteria to steal pudding,“ she scoffs as he shakes his head, shifts closer to her.

“I meant do you want me to stay on your side of the room? In this bed with you?”

“I wouldn’t ask you to do that. You have your own rock hard mattress over there. I’m-“

“You’re not fine, Scully,” Mulder says, agitated. “If you were we wouldn’t be flapping our gums at 2:45 in the morning,” he says, a little too sharply judging by the wary look on her face. 

Bowing his head he lets out a slow breath, tries again.

“I want to make sure you get a good night’s sleep, Scully. If my being on this rock hard mattress with you gets your mind off of what happened back there..”

He pauses, looks at the raw patches on her face and the bandages on her arms, feels guilt wash over him all over again.

“I’m the reason we went in the first place, I-“ 

“Mulder, we went there because it was an X-File.”

“But it wasn’t the nice trip to the forest I made it out to be, was it?” he says bitterly. 

"Because of what happened you’re still scared, Scully. You said so yourself. If my keeping you company over here can get your mind off of it, help you rest.”

Chewing her lip Scully looks up at him, gives him a reluctant nod as she shuffles to her left. Situates herself in the corner where bed meets wall to give him some room. 

Taking her up on her silent offer, Mulder lies down on his side, reaches for the blanket tucked at the foot of the bed along with his own he’d brought over.

“I don’t need that, Muld-“

“It’s still cold in here, Scully. You still look-“

“I don’t want to be covered up,” she says firmly before it clicks into place for him. Near death by bug woven cocoon would make waking up wrapped in white sheets a trigger. No wonder she was wary of blankets.

“Well I know other ways to create some body hea-“

“Mulder..“

“I know a G-rated way too, Scully” he smirks, shifting closer so they’re nose to nose.

"Is this okay?” he asks as she nods, takes the initiative to cuddle closer. 

“Is this okay?” she asks, tucking her head under his chin and curling closer to his chest.

“If you don’t want blankets I think it’s your best bet to keep from turning into a Scully popsicle.”

“Mulder…”

“Hey, I was on the chilly side too. It’s a win win.”

Rolling her eyes she wraps her right arm around him, lets out a yawn.

“You getting sleepy, Scully?”

“Almost. How…how about you read me another story.”

“The paperbacks are in the common room. I’d have to get up.”

“Make one up then.”

“About the onset of infectious diseases? The history of redwoods? I don’t know if I can ad lib that, Scully.”

“Tell me another about Reginald then,” she says sleepily as Mulder rolls his eyes, clears his throat.

“Odette called to him from the dimly lit boudoir. Began loosening her corset in eager anticipation…”

 

 


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt- “Can’t we just hug this out?”

“Scully, c’mon. I said I was-”

She ignores him, walks past him into the kitchen to the sink where she picks up a brush, starts aggressively scrubbing the caked on grease off the dirty casserole dish.

“I can help with the dishes if you-”

She shoots him a look to shut him up, reaches for more dish soap before turning the water to the hottest setting.

“I think you’ve helped with just about enough. Why don’t you go in the den. See if you can get into a fistfight with my brother before dessert’s ready.”

“I held my tongue as long as I could. Don’t tell me you weren’t itching to lunge across the table and slug him.”

“That’s different!” Scully snaps, whirling away from the sink to look at him.

“How is it different? Are you saying you can confront him when he insults you but I can’t? I’m not allowed?”

“No, you’re not allowed, Mulder!” she shouts, throwing the scrub brush down as he takes a step back.

“I’ve dealt with Bill insulting and teasing me and just being a gigantic pain in my ass since I was eight years old. I can handle his lectures for my career choices and our partnership. I can even sit there silently when he dares bring up our son. What I can’t handle is hosting Easter brunch without my mother and needing to spend the entire goddamn morning as a mediator between the two of you!”

She turns away from him, grips the round of the countertop as she bows her head. Reaching for a dishtowel in the wrong spot on the counter she chucks it off to the side in frustration, sniffs back tears.

Solemn now, Mulder cautiously moves to stand behind her, gently rub her too tense shoulders. She doesn’t fight him off, but doesn’t lean into his touch either. 

“I’m sorry, Scully.”

“No, you’re not,” she scoffs, shaking her head as she shuts down the water. “If you had it to do-over, you’d have said the exact same thing.”

“Yeah but I’d have waited til after dessert to let the really good zingers fly,” .

“You mean to tell me you were holding out before?” 

“Bill wasn’t holding back with anything he said at that table, Scully. And I’m tired of him thinking it’s alright. You put together this beautiful brunch you invite him to and he still thinks that he can spout off about whatever the hell he wants. Can hurt or belittle whoever he wants.”

“I didn’t feel belittled, Mulder. It’s nothing I haven’t heard from him before.”

“Well, it’s nothing I want to hear out of his mouth again. I could’ve let it go but I chose not to, Scully. If you want me to leave though because of it, I will,” he sighs, stepping back as she lets out a slow breath, turns away from the sink to face him.

“By all rights I should kick you out, and kick him out. But-”

“But you’d run out of people to feed.”

“That, and Mom never would’ve allowed it.”

“What would she have done instead?’

“Told Bill and you to shake hands. Or like what she made us do as kids when we’d fight. Hug it out.”

“That was her strategy? Make the two of you hug?”

“Well he’d pull my hair and I’d pinch at him but, it tended to have the desired effect.”

“What about you and I hug it out?” Mulder asks as Scully shrugs, steps in closer.  
  
“Okay. So long as I can pinch you,” she says with a smirk as Mulder laughs, pulls her close before leaning close. Enough so he can whisper about pulling her hair, and the desired effect.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt- “What now?” “I don’t know. I was pretty sure that the jump would kill us.”

 

“What the hell do you expect us to do now!” Scully asks once she surfaces, having to yell to be heard over the waterfall just a few feet away.

“What?”

“WHAT NOW?!” she repeats as Mulder dog paddles closer, shakes out his hair in a way that reminds her of a dripping wet dog.   

“I don’t know. I was pretty sure that the jump would kill us.”

“So on the first tropical vacation we’ve ever taken together your goal was for us to die?”

“My goal was to get off that damn nature trail in this humidity and take a dip, Scully.”

“Well you have. Except now our guide is gone and we’re treading water at the base of a waterfall.”

“Speak for yourself, I can swim,” Mulder scoffs, floating onto his back as she rolls her eyes, tilts her head back in turn and pushes her long hair back, out of her face and behind her shoulders.

“Fine. Race me to the rock wall then.”

“What?”  
  
“You heard me,” Scully says with a smirk, taking off towards the cliff formation in an impressive looking front crawl. 

“Hey! Cheat! You…you got ahead of!” Mulder sputters, paddling after her. She’s clearly the superior swimmer but he’s been working out and intends to show her just that until he feels it. Seaweed, twined on his leg. Whatever species and variety it is it clearly enjoys being there, a little too much. 

“Shit…Scully…”

“It was just a little head start, Mulder. What’s your…oh my God. What’s that on your-”

“Sculllaaay!!” he shouts, letting out what borders on a girly scream as he floats onto his back. Tries to pry off the substantial amount of seaweed that’s knotting and tangling his feet together, is now coupled with some kind of mollusk.

Scully kicks off the wall, swims back to him only to see him floundering and flailing around, soon failing to stay above the surface of the water.

“MULDER!!”

Racing over she reaches under his arms, uses all her strength to haul him back to the surface. He wasn’t under long but feels like dead weight in her arms. The din of the waterfall is too loud for her to tell if he’s even breathing.

Somehow she drags him onto a flat rock formation off to the side of the lagoon. Turning his head to the side to expel the water, she starts mouth to mouth until he gasps for air and coughs and splutters, coughs some more.

His eyes open and he smiles up as she catches her breath, tries not to cry.

“Damn it, Mulder.”

“You saved me, Scully,” he says softly, reaching up to thumb some water off the side of her face. Putting her hand over his on her cheek she turns her head, kisses his palm.

“I thought you said you could swim.”

“I can. Just not when there’s seaweed,” Mulder mutters, glancing down at his feet as she unknots them from the kelp bundle. “Did you get it off, Scully? Did you get the shell thing?”

“It’s the only souvenir you’re going home with,” she snorts, handing him the thankfully empty shell as he gives her the same dazzled, dreamy eyed smile.

“What are you looking at?”

“You’re like Ariel, Scully. The red hair. Handing me seashells.”

“I’m not taking my top off to complete the visual if that’s what you’re after,” Scully says, shaking her head before smiling in spite of herself. 

“I don’t care if you look like Prince Eric.”


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt- "Mulder, oh my god, what are you doing with THAT?" [five sentence fic]

_“Mulder, oh my God, what are you doing with THAT?”_

“If I may ask, Scully, what were YOU doing with it first?” he challenges, an accusatory look in his eyes as he holds up his black leather jacket.

“I gave up looking for this weeks ago, finally made myself go out and get a new one, and all this time it’s been hanging in your closet?”

“Well if I didn’t hang it up in the closet and wore it all the time then you’d notice I had it, and I…I  _really_  like it, Mulder,” she says suggestively, taking the jacket back and slipping it on as he steps closer to her.

“Well, it seems to like you, too,” he observes as she smirks up at him, toys with his tie before lowering her voice. 

“It should even more when it’s all that I’m wearing.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt- The thunder boomed outside, the heavy rain pelted at his window, the lights flickered as the lightning crashed and suddenly, there was a knock at the door. [Five Sentence Fic]

_The thunder boomed outside, the heavy rain pelted at his window, the lights flickered as the lightning crashed and suddenly, there was a knock at the door._

“Oh God, thank God. She….she needs help and I can’t do this alone, I.. I didn’t think anyone would come, that anyone even heard me…” he rambles, jimmying open the screen door before racing back to where he left them on the kitchen floor.

He starts up the chest compressions again, just like he learned in his health class and watches her feel for and not find his father’s pulse, but his mom still has a chance, she has to still have a-

“William…”

“No, we….we can save her!” he cries as she steps around the bodies, crouches down to cradle him close, tell him through tears that they can’t.

“But if you help me, baby, we….we can try to save somebody else.”


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt- "Scully, what do you dream about?" [five sentence fic]

" _Scully, what do you dream about?_ "

"Well, most of the time I only remember the dreams that scare me awake,” she answers after a beat, still pillowed on his chest as they lie on his couch beneath the blanket he’d covered her with just last night.

  
“So you never dreamed about the two of us….about this?” he asks curiously as she scoots backward, rests her chin on his chest before smiling at him.

  
“Given what I just told you I think it’s better that I haven’t, unless you wanted me to be scared of the two of us…of this,” she says as he scoffs, shakes his head no.

  
“Good, because I saw how scared you were before we…before last night.”

  
“Hey, I was not….” he balks but Scully gives him a knowing look, admits that if he hadn’t seemed scared, she wouldn’t have worked up the nerve to be brave.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt- “This time you explain it to him.” [five sentence fic]

_“This time you explain it to him.”_

Fighting the urge to roll his eyes, Mulder runs a hand through his hair, sits next to William on the bench outside the principal’s office. 

“Will, just because you saw the pencils above the desk in the study, and just because you know how I got them to stick up in the ceiling, it doesn’t mean that you can start throwing …your mom told you you couldn’t do it in your room at home, why did you think you could do it at school?”

“The other kids didn’t believe me when I said I could get them to stay, that it was all in the wrist…” 

“You told them that?” Mulder laughs, a proud gleam in his eyes before he catches Scully’s glare.

“Look, we’ll work on your technique when we get home but from now on, no more practicing with number two’s from Susan Greene’s pencil box, okay?”


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompts-
> 
> "Let’s get you out of here.”
> 
> "Can you just hold on and listen to me for a moment?!"

 

“Let’s get you out of here, Scully.”

“How?” she scoffs, looking away from him. She's seated on the floor of the neighboring transparent cell, her knees hugged to her chest as the monitors she's tethered to with electrodes bleat and beep in time with her heart.

The temperature is regulated but she's still shivering in the flimsy hospital gown they gave her to wear, the thin flannel robe. Mulder wishes he could reach through the glass barrier, slide an arm around her to warm her up.

“You’re only in this facility because they think you were exposed, Mulder. But the photo taken on the bridge is proof," she reminds, her voice soft and resigned as it comes through the connecting speaker.

"You were in the car and Miller was standing to the right of the beam’s path. You’ll both be released in twenty four hours, maybe less."

“You think I’m leaving here without you?” he asks, shaking his head before he glowers up at the ceiling. Silently daring the fuckers surveilling and studying them to offer up a challenge, shoot him on sight.

He knows though if they wanted him dead that he’d be dead already. Right now he’s useful to them. Almost as much as she is, and he’ll be damned if he doesn’t use that fact to both their advantages. Get them both the fuck out of these fucking cages.

“I’m walking proof of alien life, Mulder. Even if the government didn’t order me locked up in a lab, opt to turn me into a case study, that photo of me on the bridge went viral as fast as the outbreak did.”

“The outbreak you _cured_ , Scully."

"I’m Catholic. I’ve read up on what happens to saviors."

“I’ll protect you, Scully. The only reason I’m even breathing right now is because of you. You…you saved the world. That won’t go unnoticed.”

“But it has to. It has to so that he…that Wi-"

Catching herself, swallowing back a lump in her throat Scully shakes her head, turns to Mulder with tears in her eyes.

“You saw the lengths I went to to protect him. I need you to protect us both. If the focus stays on me, if the government and the public are only fixated on my DNA, they won’t think to turn that focus onto...you know that if word got out….”

“I'd keep him safe. The same way I’d keep you safe. Nothing would happen to either of you, Scully.”

“And nothing will. As long as I’m in here, he won’t be. I owe him that."

Running a hand over his face it’s Mulder’s turn to shake his head.

“He wouldn’t wind up in this place, Scully.”

“Don’t say that. You don’t know-”

“Don’t know what? How to protect him? You...you think I wouldn’t keep him safe?”

“Muld-”

"For Christ's sake, I'd never let him-"

"Mulder, can you just hold on for a second and-”

“I can’t just-”

“Damn it, shut up! Just shut up and listen to me, for a minute!” Scully says sharply, taking him aback.

  
“I won’t let him be like us, or Emily, or your parents or my sister or your’s! I won’t let him become some useless pawn in all of this goddamn-”

Suddenly Mulder slams his palm on the glass, startling her and making her jump before she realizes his other hand, still on his face, is covering his eyes, his tears.

Moving closer to the shared wall she presses her hand to the glass opposite his trembling one until he finally lifts his head, looks at her like he’s hopelessly lost.

"Scully...”

"I rewrote Einstein and cut up bodies, Mulder. I...I can be a lab rat. I'm already an X-File twice over," she chuckles, wiping at her eyes with her free hand as he shakes his head.

"I won't leave here without you, Scully. I can't."

"They can hear everything you're saying, Mulder."

He smiles softly then, keeps his palm pressed to hers on the glass as he hears the bleats of her heart monitor pick up in speed.

"Let them hear."

 

 

 


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt- “What’s wrong?” “Nothing … I’ve just never been this happy in my life.”

****He pads back into their bedroom barefoot, climbs back into bed behind her and brushes his lips on her right shoulder.

“I don’t smell coffee,” Scully mumbles, scrunching more into her pillow as Mulder scrunches closer to her, loops his arm around her waist.

“It’s being made. Along with breakfast. Our kid beat me to it. He even knows the way you like your eggs.”

“That’s because he asked me last night.”

Rolling over she pillows her head on his chest.

“And you trusted him to cook you breakfast over me?”

“I trusted him to do more than put cold pizza on a doily lined dish, put it on a serving tray and call it breakfast in bed.”

“You called that an inventive twist on tradition, Scully.”

“It was only an edible twist because of the mushrooms and green peppers.”

“Neither of those ingredients are in the omelette Will’s making you.”

“Well, I didn’t want him stepping on your toes.”

“Cute, Scully. Really cute.”

Grabbing her underwear and his Knicks shirt off the ground Scully tugs the clothing on, combs her fingers through her hair.

“So should I go get myself some cold cereal or do you think we can go halvers on that omelette?” Mulder asks, earning a look. 

“I didn’t know this breakfast was for Mother’s _and_ Father’s Day.”

“Well technically, since it’s the end of May…we’re halfway between the two days, maybe it could be for both-”

“Mulder.” 

“Fine. Cold cereal it is.”

“No, stay, Mulder. We’ll share.”

He goes to leave the bed again but she stops him, sets a hand on his thigh.  
  
“I mean it. The brunch can count for both the days, and besides, Will was raised on a farm. I doubt country breakfasts are centered around portion control.”

“Last thing you need to worry about is portion control, Scully.”

“Well, maybe with the two of you around to go halvers with…”

Bowing her head Scully bites her lip, hopes he doesn’t hear her sniffle.

“Scully?”

She doesn’t answer, just continues toying with the hem of his Knicks t-shirt until he turns her face towards his.

“What’s wrong, Scully?”

“Nothing, I just…our son is downstairs. He’s making us breakfast. D…did you ever think that-”

“No. I wanted to. I just never thought it would.”

Shaking his head he slides an arm around her shoulder as she leans against him, sniffles again.

“Me either. I never thought we’d be this happy.”

“Yeah. I just hope we still are after we’ve eaten,” Mulder snickers, earning a swat on the chest in return.

“We’ve never sampled his cooking before, Scully. Who knows what the hell we’re getting ourselves into.”

“It’s a sweet gesture. The thought is all that counts,” she reminds. Sitting up she hastily wipes her eyes hearing Will coming up the steps. Hearing the same thing Mulder grabs his phone from his nightstand.

“Mulder…what are you-”

“I agree, the thought is a nice one,” he says, hastily dialing. “Just think it won’t hurt to have an edible one on standby. Yes…I’d like to order a large pizza.  Mushrooms, green peppers…”


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt- Things you said with too many miles between us

You’re exhausted by the time you get back to the room, but the conference organizers at least spring for better accommodations than the Bureau did.  
  
You let yourself in with the keycard, kick your heels off and slide off your coat.  
Your only plan right now is to sink into the jacuzzi tub with that half bottle of Merlot from the minibar. It’s your last night in San Francisco, it’s been a long week. You deserve this.  
  
You’re on your second glass of wine from the half bottle and your bath smells like lilacs and the candle on the corner of the tub smells like vanilla. You can’t remember the last time you were this relaxed. Just as you’re ready though to sink down deeper into the bubbles your phone rings.  
  
You want to let it go to voicemail. But you know who’s on the other line. It’s not the hospital, you’re not due back til next week. It’s not Mom, she’s on a cruise in Europe and if she’s where her most recent postcard was addressed from, it’s 4AM there. No, you know who it is and you sit up in the tub, towel off your sudsy hand before you pick up.

“Mulder, is that you?”  
  
“You…you picked up. I…I wasn’t expecting you to pick up.”  
  
He sounds slurry and distant. He’s been drinking but she can’t say anything. The drained half bottle is next to the tub.  
  
“I’m out of town. I’m at a conference.”  
  
“I know. You wrote it on the calendar on the fridge before you… I know. How’s San Fran?”  
  
“The room’s nice. I haven’t seen much else aside from the hotel. The conference has been downstairs in the ballroom.“  
  
“Ballroom. Sounds ritzy.”  
  
“Why’d you call, Mulder?”  
  
“It’s the cat, Scully,” he says softly. "I went outside to the shed with some milk for her this morning and when I got there she was…an animal or something must’ve gotten to her.”  
  
“Oh, Mulder,” you murmur, sinking down lower in the tub. He sounds like he’s about to cry and even though the cat was old and she hissed and left what you know is going to be a permanent scar on your right hand, you swallow back a lump in your throat and gulp down the remaining wine in your glass.  
  
“She was old, Mulder. She was old when you found her.”  
  
“We both found her. Remember? We were on the porch, we were waiting for that meteor shower and you heard her scratching.”  
  
“I…I think I remember,” you say, knowing full well you do.  
  
“C’mon, Scully. She was under the porch and you heard the scratching and thought we had termites and you made me get out the flashlight to look. I missed the meteors ‘cause I crawled under the porch on a damn bug hunt.”  
  
You remembers telling him to keep checking so you could keep checking out his ass, and you missed the meteor shower too.  
  
He surfaced with the cat spitting and hissing and with claw marks up and down his arms and a long scrape on his stomach. You shut the cat in the bathroom with a can of tuna before you grabbed the first aid kit. After you cleaned and treated his arms you lifted his torn shirt, kissed the marks the unruly feline left on him before straddling him on the porch swing. Leaving your own on his neck.  
  
“Like I said, I think I remember.”  
  
“How’s the bath?” he asks after a beat and you frown, sit up slightly.  
  
“How’d you know I was in the-“  
  
“It’s the last night of the conference, you sound relaxed. I deduced you were either in the tub or in bed but I don’t hear the TV in the background. I hear classical music.“  
  
“Five points if you can tell me the composer.”  
  
You hear him listening over the line before he answers. He answers wrong, but you award the points anyway for effort.  
  
“I don’t accept that,” he says as you smirk. "Can I do some extra credit work to make up for it?”  
  
“What kind of work?”  
  
“The work I’d be doing to help you relax if I was there. I wouldn’t call it work though.”  
  
“What would you call it?” you ask.  
  
“Well, you called it first aid after the cat scratched the hell outta me. But you barely used the kit you keep in the kitchen before you and I-“  
  
“I remember, Mulder.”  
  
“What do you remember?”  
  
“How good you felt.”  
  
Before sinking back into the bubbles again you put the phone on speaker, rest it on the corner of the tub to get your hands free.  
  
“Scully?”  
  
“Yeah?”  
  
“Am I on speaker?”  
  
“Maybe…” you say as he clears his throat.  
  
“Should I take that as a sign that you’re…”  
  
“Uh huh,” you tease, your hand going lower along with your voice.  
  
"Make me feel good, Mulder.”


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prompt- “What happens if I do this?”

“What happens if I do… _this_?”

“Mulder, I swear to God if you don’t-”

“C’mon, I’m just testing your reflexes.”

“ _And_ my patience,” Scully snaps, kicking at him from her seat in the chair.   
  
Taking the hint, Mulder gets up his crouched down position on the floor, sets the reflex hammer back on the tray before walking over to open the canister of tongue depressors on the counter. 

“Mulder, if you’re that desperate to entertain yourself there’s copies of Highlights Magazine in the waiting room by the Lego table.”

“I saw. The little girl with the chicken pox got the latest edition,” he scoffs as Scully fidgets in the plastic chair. Unfolds her legs before sitting forward, wringing her hands.

“How long does it take to get his height and weight, for God’s sake.”

“Scully…”

“I could’ve put him on the bathroom scale at home, saved them the hassle.”

“It’s his annual checkup, Scully. They’re just trying to be thorough.”

“It’s a well-visit. Will is perfectly healthy. At least he was before the mother of the boy with the hacking cough strolled him into the wrong waiting room.”

“That kid barely got within an inch of him. If he had you’d have morphed into our son’s human shield.”

“I’m a mother of a three year old. Shielding is in my damn job description.”

“Yeah, next step is a plastic bubble.”

Shooting him a glare, getting up from the ever increasingly uncomfortable chair, Scully brushes past Mulder to the counter. Picking up the manilla folder she runs her thumb over their son’s name in bold type across the tab. 

“That folder of his is nice and thin though. I think it’s safe to say we don’t need that next step,” Mulder says in apology, resting his hand on her shoulder.

“If Dr. Ross knew about the super-soldiers and the magnetite I’m sure he’d feel differently.”

“Lucky for us extra terrestrial threats don’t show up on pediatrician charts.”

“I’ve already got them emblazoned in my brain. Who needs them written in ballpoint for a file,” Scully scoffs, tossing the folder down before leaning back into Mulder’s touch. Without thinking twice his arms settle snugly around her waist as his chin goes to the top of her head.

“There’s been nothing in need of emblazoning since he took his first steps, Scully. No additional threats, no unusual activity. Unless you count that dance he was doing the other day on the potty.”

“What about when you found him trying to eat that squished strawberry off the floor.”

“Since when is my son taste testing goo on the floor unusual?” Mulder scoffs, getting a smile to his relief.

‘All Dr. Ross is going to tell us about Will is that he’s happy and healthy and terrific.”

“Well I think that just about sums it up,” Dr. Ross says, walking back in the exam room accompanied by a nurse and a lollipop eating Will in his arms.

“He earned his reward for being a model patient a little early. Hope that’s okay, Mom,” he says, handing Will over to Scully. Nodding she beams, holds the boy close.

“That’s fine. That’s just fine.”


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt- Did you just hiss at me? 

“It hates me, Mulder,” Scully says, gesturing to the feline now swatting at a tin foil ball on the rug.

“He’s just distracted by something shiny, Scully,” Mulder observes, sitting next to her on the sofa. “It doesn’t mean that he hates-”

“It hissed at me earlier and then tried to bite me.”

“Maybe he’s just getting adjusted.”

“Or he hates me.”

Slumping back against the couch cushions she wipes at her eyes.

“You want me to have it out with him? Man to cat?” Mulder teases, not getting so much as a snort in return.

“Scully…”, he sighs, sliding an arm around her as she sniffs back tears.

“At least I know how the cat feels about me. Will will barely even look in my direction.”

“He’s getting adjusted too, Scully. He’s had a lot to process since Wyoming.”

“I thought we could process it together.” Scully chokes out, curling into Mulder’s side as he holds her closer, kisses the top of her head.

“He left this morning before I was even awake.”

“He left a note though. Told us he’d be back for dinner.”

“I don’t even know what his favorite food is.”

“It’s gonna take time, honey,” he says gruffly into her hair.

“For him to tell me if he likes burgers or tofu?”

“For him to tell us anything. He’s a teenager, Scully. If he’s anything like I was…”

“Or like I was.”

“Exactly.”

“I just want him to talk to me. I just want to know how he’s doing. How he’s coping with all of this.”

“How he’s coping…Scully,” Mulder sighs sadly. “How long do you tell me you’re fine before you admit that you’re not?”  
  
“Well, I’m not fine now!” she snaps, shifting out of his hold before standing up, crossing her arms in front of the window. 

“I didn’t mean it that way,” Mulder sighs, standing behind her. He puts a hand on her shoulder and she jerks away, prompting him to turn her towards him.

“Scully-”

“Damn it, Mulder. Let me-”

“No. Look at me.”

After a moment she meets his gaze, her eyes narrowed and bright with unshed tears.

“You know what I meant to say. Our son is afraid and angry and hurting. We’re no strangers to being in that kind of pain, and we’re certainly not the first to come forward when we are.”

“So what, I have to hear him tell me he’s ‘fine’ for weeks and weeks! I have to sit here and do nothing while our son is grieving and hurt and angry?”

“He’s as stubborn as us but he needs us, Scully. He knows it or he wouldn’t have come with us, and he wouldn’t have trusted us with the most familiar face he’s still got.”

Mulder says, nodding to the cat who pads over in their direction, gently and affectionately headbutts Scully in the leg.

“I don’t see any claws out,” Mulder says as she sighs, leans into his chest.

“He could be lulling me into a false sense of security.”

“I don’t think so. He’s purring.”

Reaching down, Mulder picks up the grey and white tabby, holds him close enough for Scully to pet him if she chooses. She tentatively reaches out, rubs him behind the ears and earns more purring.

“Means he likes you,” William says, walking in the back door and shutting it behind him.

“Will, I-”

“He wouldn’t let you near him otherwise. He’s finicky.”

"Okay. Good to know,” Scully breathes, stunned at having heard a full sentence emit from her son’s mouth.

“She’s used to finicky. Her partner doesn’t play well with others either,” Mulder quips as he eases the cat down.

“Mulder…”  
  
“What, it’s true,” he shrugs as Will nods, scoops up the cat.

“Anyway, I’m gonna-”  
  
“Wait, Will,” Scully interjects. “Speaking of finicky, is there any food that you like or don’t…”

“I like burgers.”

“I…we can do that,” she says with a smile. 

“Just for the record, what are your thoughts on tofu?” Mulder asks, earning a grimace that answers his question. 

“Got it, good to know.”

“Can I go to my room now?”  
  
“Sure. We’ll call you when we fire the grill up.”

Nodding, Will sets the now squirming cat on the rug who crosses back to Mulder and Scully.

“Like I said, he likes you.”

“Yeah,” Mulder agrees as the cat weaves between Scully’s ankles. “Just took him a little time to adjust,” he says as Will nods in agreement, ducks into his room but leaves the door open a crack.

“Just takes a little time,” Mulder repeats as Scully hides her face in his chest. Nods in agreement as he holds her close. 


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt- "You're getting crumbs all over my bed."

“Jesus, Mulder.”

She shuts the door to her room loudly, startling him out of a deep sleep.

“What the…hey, Scully.” 

He sits up, disrupting the pizza box on his stomach and knocking some crust and crumbs out of it and onto the bedspread. Much to her annoyance.

“You’re getting crumbs all over my bed. Why are you even in my bed?”

“The heat’s not kicking on in my room. I told the guy at the desk and he said he’s working on it.”

“Well how long is it going to take?” Scully grumbles, slowly taking her coat off and hanging it on the door hook.

“You know back in the day you wouldn’t complain if we were stuck sharing a room on a case.”

“Well, back in the day I was in my thirties and performing an autopsy didn’t wreak havoc on my back,” she sighs. Perching on the non crummy corner of the bed she rubs her lower back with her left hand, goes to unfasten her boots with the other.

“You got a knot?”  
  
“Yeah. And wiping out on black ice in the parking lot didn’t help.”

“Shit, Scully.” 

Setting the pizza box on the floor, Mulder gets off the bed and crouches down in front of Scully. Unfastening her boots he helps her out of them.

“Thank you.”

“Anytime. You want me to call a doctor?”  
  
“I am a doctor. I’ll be fine,” she sighs, slowly getting back to her feet. 

“I’m gonna shower. Is there any pizza leftover?”

“Afraid not. Would you settle for-”

She’s in the bathroom before he can finish the sentence, but he takes the hint and orders their usual, plus a side salad. 

Cutting into the adjoining room, he strips the crumb-free sheets from his bed and puts her’s in the hamper. After tossing the empty pizza box out, he lights a candle on the nightstand and puts the classical station on the radio, then bends down to retrieve some lotion from her overnight bag.

“Mulder?”  
  
“I switched out the sheets. Lie down, I’ll see if I can work that knot out before the pizza gets here.”

“Mulder…” she says as he stands back up, rubs some Warm Vanilla Sugar into his hands while grins, starts undoing the tie on her robe. 

“I know. I’ve got nothing on the Magic Fingers but-”

“I wouldn’t be so sure of that,” Scully grins, lying down on the bed on her stomach.

“C’mon, G-Man. Before the pizza gets here.”


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt- "things you didn’t say at all"

He’s with the doctor across the hall when he hears her scream. Racing to her room he sees her jolt up in bed, her hands pressed tight to her ears. 

“Shit, Scully..”

She’s cowering now, shaking her head with her eyes squeezed shut as she chokes out ‘no’ over and over again. Tears stream down her cheeks and she’s trembling in the thin blue hospital gown.  The monitors she’s tethered to bleat faster and faster. 

The doctor orders a sedative, orders a nurse to assist him with placing restraints. 

“Fuck, she doesn’t need…just let me talk to her!”

“Agent Mulder-”  
  
“Let me talk to her!” Mulder growls. When they don’t oblige he pushes the doctor off to the side, glares at him and the nurse before crouching beside his partner.

“Shh…shhh. Easy Scully, easy, it’s al-”

“Agent Mulder-”

“Five minutes,” he says roughly. “Just give us five minutes.”

The doctor and nurse move to stand by the door while Mulder moves to sit behind her on the bed. Enveloping her in his arms he presses his lips to the top of her head.

“I got you. I got you, honey,” he soothes, his voice gruff. When her ‘no’s’ break off into breathless gasps, he moves to sit in front of her. Rests his hands on the backs of her’s.

“C’mon, Scully, look at me! You need to breathe. Look at me!” he orders. Huge, wet blue eyes meet his as he coaches her, moves his hand to rub her upper back.

“It’s okay, Scully. You’re safe. I’m right here.”

She comes back to herself enough to realize he’s there, prompting him to shift closer, stroke her sweaty hair back before she breaks down in tears.

“Shh, It’s alright, it’s alright.” he soothes, rubbing her back as she hides her face in his shoulder, sobs.

“M…Mulder, I…I heard…”

“Shh, you don’t need to say it, Scully,” he sighs, shaking his head. Holding her as tight as he can he swallows down the lump in his throat. “You…you don’t need to say it.”


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A random MSR drabble. Because it’s 4 degrees out, feels like -13 and apparently the cold brings out the fluff in me.

“So help me, Mulder. You get out of this bed-“

“Scully, if I turn up the heat you won’t need to cling onto me like a spider monkey all night.”

“Since when does that bother you?” she asks, arching a brow. Still shivering underneath three layers of blankets. It was thirteen degrees outside but the wind chill was making it feel like two below.

“And if you leave to turn up the heat it won’t do any good. We barely feel it up here anyway,” she groans.

She’d learned the first winter they lived here the one thing their Unremarkable House was most unremarkable at was heating evenly in the winter. The downstairs felt like a fired up oven while the upstairs could double as an igloo. At present, Mulder was her only reliable heat source and she’d be damned if he moved before she thawed out.

“I’ll make you a deal. You let me go downstairs to try and get the heat reaching up here, and I’ll bring back a midnight snack.”

“No deal. I need warmth right now. Not unneeded calories.”

“What if we find a way to burn off the unneeded calories. And warm up?” Mulder asks, nuzzling at her neck as she giggles, squirms.

By doing so though her leg pokes out from under the blanket and she shrieks, curls in a ball.

“Scully!” he laughs as she burrows into his side.

“It’s too cold!” she whines.

“Can I interest you in a pair of socks?”

“Who sleeps in socks, Mulder?”

“Women who shriek if their extremities are exposed to the cool night air.”

“I didn’t shriek.”

“You’re right, it was more of a girly scream,” he teases, earning a pinch that elicits a girly scream from him.

“You know if this is the way you treat your only heat source, I’ll just-“

“No don’t move! Don’t move,” she orders, curling onto and holding him tighter to keep him in place.

“You know it’s nights like this I wonder how the hell we survived Antarctica,” Mulder snorts as she shakes her head, starts laughing against his chest in disbelief.

“I hate this so damn much,” she squeaks out, exasperated.

In full agreement Mulder moves to grab his phone on the nightstand.

“What are you doing?”

“Booking the first flight I can to anywhere that’s warm,” he says as she sits up, squints at the screen in the dark.

“Any preference, Scully?”

“I wouldn’t be opposed to a white sand beach someplace.”

“Great minds,” Mulder grins. “I wouldn’t be opposed to seeing you in that blue bikini again.”

“Make sure the resort’s pet friendly. I want to take Daggoo on a walk that’s longer than a quick lap around the house.”

“Can’t we just take him to a warm barn for a stay?”

Met with a glare Mulder shrugs, selects pet friendly as one of the must have amenities.

“Any other requests?”

“Yeah,” Scully smirks, kissing his chest.

“When I’m in my bikini you’re in your red speedo.”

Rolling his eyes, but nonetheless booking their flight to an all inclusive in Tahiti, Mulder sets his phone on the nightstand, pulls Scully up enough to hold her slightly flushed face in his hands before kissing her.

“You want to try our hand at warming up again?” he murmurs against her lips.

“Even without empty calories to burn off?” she teases as he pulls back, smirks before rolling her off him and getting out of bed.

“I’m pretty sure we can fix that.”

“Mulder!” Scully exclaims, wrapping the comforter around her to maintain a semblance of warmth.

Before a pout can fully form on her face Mulder crosses back to the bed and scoops her blanket wrapped form up in his arms. Carries her down the stairs.

“I’ll get the fire going and you get snacks. Until that flight, we’re not leaving the damn living room.”

Arms wrapped around his neck like an actual spider monkey, Scully grins and nips at his lips. Finally starting to thaw.


End file.
